Wondrous, loving, and never endingly happy are the six words you would most likely use to describe “The Encourager,” Jesus Inos. One person described him in a sentence, after his fatality, as “one who can turn any frown to a smile, every drop of rain to a ray of sun”. That’s how this Mexican would be described, except for his impairment of being mute. This is his story. . .

“Everyone this is our new student, Jesus.” Mrs. Rosita said. Jesus decided now would be a good time to wave. This was going to be his eleventh grade year of school. It would be his transfer from home school to public school because his parents decided he needed some new friends. He was greeted by unsuspecting “hi’s” and “hello’s”. Then his educator took the liberty to include that he was “unable to speak”.

That’s when the giggling and stares began. He blushed and scooted around until his teacher spoke, “That will be enough!!!” Quiet swept over the room. Some kids mumbled “sorry”, but no one could be sure who meant it.


“BRING!!!” The school bell rang and the hall was soon flooded with students rushing to their lockers. Three guys soon approached the glowing face of Jesus. “Yo, man!” said the first with his hand lingering in the air. Jesus slapped it while the second guy decided to shout “Hey, John high-fived the mime!”

Jesus looked hurt in his eyes, but his smile remained. The third guy, who just stood and watched, wrote to him in a note next class, “Why do you always smile even when they laugh at you?”

Jesus wrote back, “What other use do I have for my mouth?”

He continued to put up with the teasing as the year went on, while noticing those in need of an encouraging word or two, Jesus decided to start helping those people by slipping notes into his peer’s lockers. No one could ever seem to figure out who was the author of the notes. Of course, it couldn’t be the kid without a voice box! A teacher perhaps? It wouldn’t be the bullies from the first day of school, but everyone wondered, could it?

The school seemed to be happier than normal when out of no where Jesus mysteriously disappeared. Everyone was inquiring as to where the cheerful child flew off to. The notes began to fade into the distance and people started to, piece by piece, hypothesize that he had been the phantom friend to all.

Letters to both teachers and him were sent in hopes of finding his whereabouts when one day Jesus’ good friend Zuri came to school with news that everybody’s new found amigo was placed in the hospital to check on his throat. News of such things seemed to put everyone at peace, until Zuri decided to reveal that the “encourager’s” parents were planning to move. All students, in great shock, couldn’t believe the mind boggling news.
He returned for a little while the next week where he was showered with muchas gracias from all his peers, who all now longed for him to stay. Jesus Inos left while leaving them the “spoken” message, love others no matter what. As corny as that sounds, even a deaf person could “hear” it if it comes from a person like Jesus Inos.